Arkansas Teacher Pleads No Contest to Charge of Sexually Assaulting Boy, 15, Who She Allegedly Knew from Church

A teacher from Arkansas has pleaded no contest to sexual assault after being accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy at her church.

According to KARK, Reagan Danielle Gray entered her plea on Monday at the Little Rock Court for one count of second-degree sexual assault.

ABC7 reported that the teacher entered a no contest, which allowed her not to admit or deny the crime, but the move is treated the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes.

Gray was charged last year with abusing a 15-year-old boy at Immanuel Baptist Church in 2020 when she was 23 years old.

KARK reported that while she first abused the boy in 2020, the assault continued into summer 2021.

PEOPLE contacted Little Rock Court, Little Rock Police, Immanuel Baptist Church and Sylvan Hills Middle School for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

PEOPLE previously reported in April 2024 that police had accused Gray of sexually abusing a teenager and sending him nudes.

Gray’s attorney, John Ogles, told PEOPLE at the time that Gray had entered a not guilty plea. “We are just going to trust the judicial process,” he said.

While the defendant was a teacher at the Little Rock Christian Academy and a volunteer in the Immanuel Baptist Church student ministry, the victim was a member of the student ministry.

KARK and ABC7 reported that Gray had originally been charged with the first and fourth degrees in sexual assault, however, prosecutors later agreed for her to enter a second-degree plea.

She has been sentenced to six years of probation and a $1,000 fine. Gray is also now registered on the sex offender registry, has been ordered to provide a DNA sample and must have no communication with the victim.

PEOPLE previously reported that an affidavit stated that Gray was told to stop contacting the boy after the teen’s parents allegedly found text messages in 2020 between the two.

The texts were then reported to the senior pastor. Gray then told the pastor that the relationship was “not physical” before being removed from the student ministry and being ordered to undergo counseling.

However, she “returned to volunteering in the student ministry shortly after being removed,” per investigators.

Gray then allegedly revealed in a counseling session in 2020 that her relationship with the boy was “sexual in nature,” per the affidavit.

“The communication between Gray and [the teen] had not stopped after being confronted by [the teen’s] parents and continued on the Snapchat application,” the affidavit went on to say, with authorities claiming the abuse took place in Gray’s car or apartment multiple times.

The affidavit also stated that Gray was on administrative leave from her job at Sylvan Hills Middle School beginning in February 2024.

According to KARK, Pastor Smith resigned as pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in April last year after backlash for how the church dealt with the allegation of sexual abuse.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.